Additional studies on side effects of melperone in long-term therapy for 1-20 years in psychiatric patients

The present study reporting on continuous melperone treatment of hitherto longest duration recorded in literature was conducted in order to reveal side effects of long-term melperone therapy. 50 patients, 24 females and 26 males, aged 37-102 (average: 81 years of age) were treated with melperone (Buronil, Bunil, Eunerpan) for 1 to 20 years. In most patients, daily dosage varied from 10 to 300 mg, total dosage ranging from 6510 mg to 1 662 225 mg, avr. 203 923 mg. Diagnoses were as follows: senile dementia (14), organic dementia (9), arterio-sclerotic dementia (8), schizophrenia (17) and nonspecific psychosis (2). The patients were examined for clinical side effects including abnormal ECGs and ophthalmological diseases. Biochemical laboratory tests comprised sedimentation rate, haemoglobin, leucocytes, creatinine, alanine-aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transferase and bilirubin. The results were evaluated by a specialist in internal medicine and an ophthalmologist performed the examinations on the 20 patients who were able to cooperate. The conclusion was that no serious side effects were observed which could with any certainty be related to melperone therapy.